"I'll see you when we get there", your brother Barry called over his shoulder as he went to join his friends. You waved and turned towards the Hogwarts Express. The large scarlet train was familiar to you by now, as you were entering your 6th year as a Gryffindor there. Barry, a Ravenclaw, was 17, and in his final year at the most prestigious school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. You boarded the train and headed to the back to find an empty compartment. As you settled in, you heard someone shout

"Hey, O'Connell, how was your summer?" You turned around and find yourself facing your good friends, James Potter and Remus Lupin.

"Hey, James, Remie," you smiled as Remus winced at his nickname, which you had given him in your first year at Hogwarts. Before you get any further into your conversation, your best friend, Lily Evans, ran into the compartment and hugged you.

"Kara, how was your vacation? I missed you so much! How was Connecticut?" Meanwhile, James was ruffling his hair, trying to make it look like he'd just stepped off his broom. You and Remus held back snickers. James was forever trying to impress Lily. So far it wasn't working. She still despised him. Lily let go of you and James asked,

"How's it goin', Evans?"

"Well, Potter, it was "goin'" fine until you decided to stick your fat head into my business." You roll your eyes at Remus and he moves over to talk to you.
"So, Kara," he asks above Lily and James' shouts, "How was your summer?"
"Great!" you respond enthusiastically, "We just got back from home last week." You were from Connecticut, but moved to England with your mom and your brothers when you were 10. Your dad still lived in the states. Your parents were happily married, but careers forced them to live on different continents. At first you were upset about moving to England, but it didn't bother you now. You had friends, and Hogwarts was great.
A sudden clicking of fifty high heeled shoes and the squealing of a posse of Barbie dolls, also known as the fan club, turned the attentions of the four of you to the only person accompanied by those sounds almost 24 hours a day- James' best friend and accomplice, Sirius Black.

"Excuse me ladies," Sirius said apologetically as he shut the door to the compartment in their faces. "Hey, Prongs. Still working that good old fashioned Potter charm on Evans, I see. Any more successful this year?" Lily and James' glares answered his question. "Guess not," he chuckled. You sighed. Sirius Black was not your favorite person in the world, to say the least. From the way he treated you, you assumed the feeling was mutual.
"O'Connell," he said coolly.

"Black," you spat back at him. He turned to Remus, and you looked him over. As much as you disliked him most of the time, he wasn't bad looking. With his shaggy black hair and steel gray eyes, not to mention his broad, muscular chest, he wasn't exactly unfortunate looking. Far from it, in fact. You snapped yourself out of your trance at a commotion in the compartment. It didn't matter what he looked like, you told yourself. He was still Sirius Black.

You looked over to see what the disturbance was, and saw James arguing with a greasy haired, hook nosed boy. Severus Snape. As you started to join the group, you heard James yell, and Snape went flying out of the compartment, knocked out cold. James and Sirius grinned, satisfied. There was someone who wasn't so thrilled, however.

"Potter! You've been on the train for 10 minutes, you arrogant, self centered, conceited, depraved..." the list of insulting adjectives went on and on, as Lily shouted herself hoarse at James. Sirius and Remus didn't bother to hide their amusement, although you did cover your smile... for a few seconds.

The rest of the train ride was uneventful, you and Sirius sharing heated conversation about the House Quidditch teams this year. You and Sirius, along with James, were on the team. He was a Beater, and you and James were both Chasers. Lily yelled at James some more, and Remus read a book. A few hours later, you had arrived at Hogwarts.